61 hours: The journey endured by thousands of Irish bull calves

For months, RTÉ Investigates has been looking into Ireland's dairy boom. The boom began after restrictions on producing milk were lifted in 2015.

The investigation has uncovered animal welfare issues at marts and breaches of regulations on the transport of animals in mainland Europe.

Strict guidelines on animal welfare appear to be routinely flouted at many Irish marts.

Prime Time presenter Fran McNulty tracked what a truck load of Irish bull calves experienced on their export journey.

From Cabin 679 you can clearly hear calves bawling from below deck.

Thirteen hours since our ferry set sail from Rosslare, we’re now in the calm waters of the English Channel. It’s longer still since they were loaded onto a truck in a livestock yard in Co Wicklow.

For the unweaned calves it’s a long time without mother’s milk.

The journey to their final destination is the same one that tens of thousands of calves have taken this year. The constant noise they are making is the sound of hunger.

The calves cannot be fed aboard the ship, there are no feeding facilities apart from water faucets on...
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